“AUSTRALIA and New Zealand (ANZ) have told us time and time again that they do not have a commercial interest in these negotiations, but the reality is that without substantive commitments on labour mobility and development assistance, they (ANZ) will be the major beneficiaries of this Agreement,” says Trade Negotiations Envoy Robert Sisilo. Mr Sisilo,…
THE awareness program that is being carried out by Guadalcanal Plains Palm Oil Limited (GPPOL) in North East Guadalcanal has now resumed after being disturbed due to the wet weather experienced earlier in the year. The program commenced late in 2013 and it is the intention of GPPOL to visit a number of predetermined communities…
THE Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat has conducted another successful two days Workshop on the Draft MSG Trade Agreement and other Trade and Economic Agreement/Initiatives in the region. This was held at the Secretariat Conference Room in Port Vila, Vanuatu from 26-27 March 2014. The Workshop was co-funded under the MSG-Pacific Integration Technical Assistance…
FOUR enterprises from the Pacific have been supported by the European Union to showcase their products to international buyers at Trade Pasifika 2014. The enterprises – Liman TL and Maubere Mountain Coffee, both from Timor-Leste; Women in Business Development Inc. from Samoa; and the Crab Company (Fiji) Ltd from Fiji – are just four of…
Tourism operators in Marau, east Guadalcanal have urged the ministry of tourism and culture to explain how the tourism funding for the constituency was allocated. More than 50 operators raised this during a meeting held between them by Solomon Island visitors bureau (SIVB) over the weekend. The operators who were happy with the SIVB visit…
The Solomon Island visitors bureau (SIVB) is targeting to increase its visitors’ arrival into Solomon Island up to a billion within a year. This was revealed by the bureau’s chief executive officer (CEO) Josefa Tuamoto in Marau, East Guadalcanal over the weekend. Mr Tuamoto who spoke to more than fifty (50) tourism operators in Marau…
A slight pickup in economic growth is being forecasted for Solomon Islands this year (2014) from 2.9 percent in 2013 to 3.0 percent. Thats according to the Asian Development Bank (ABD) flagship economic report, the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) which was released early this week. The report said growth is expected to pick up slightly,…
The ministry of culture and tourism in partnership with the Live and Learn International non-government organisation have successfully carried out a tourism awareness last week in Isabel. Some of the communities which covered were Bolitei and Ghoveo and its surrounding communities in Baolo, Zuzuao, Toelegu, Sisiga and Sosoilo. The program was organised under the Live…
SP Brewery launched a new beer brand in Lae last Friday. Stan Joyce, SP Brewery’s managing director, said the new brand Heineken, which was first produced in 1873 in Amsterdam, Germany, had been to 178 other countries and had a long and proud history. The beer had only four natural ingredients — water, malted barley,…
SENIOR officials responsible for energy and transport in Pacific Island countries and territories gathered in Nadi, Fiji, Monday to participate in two days of meetings ahead of the Pacific Regional Energy and Transport (Aviation and Maritime) Ministers’ Meeting, which started on Wednesday. The officials’ meeting, organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in…